Argument
The Mistress of Pohjola sends a bear to destroy the herds of Kalevala (1-20). Väinämöinen kills the bear, and a great feast is held in Kalevala in honour of the occasion (21-606). Väinämöinen sings, plays on the kantele, and hopes that a time of great happiness and prosperity is coming to Kalevala (607-644).
Unto Pohjola came tidings,
To the village cold the tidings
That in Väinöla 'twas healthy,
Freed was Kalevala completely
From the evil plagues of magic,
And the scourge of nameless sickness.
Louhi, Pohjola's old Mistress,
Old and gap-toothed dame of Pohja,
Thereupon again grew furious,
And she spoke the words which follow: 10
"Still I know another method,
And a cunning scheme have thought on.
On the heath the Bear I'll waken,
On the waste the curving-clawed one,
Väinöla's fine flocks to ravage,
Herds of Kalevala to slaughter."
On the heath the bear she wakened,
From his native land she drove him
To the heathlands of Väinölä,
And to Kalevala's green pastures. 20
Väinämöinen, old and steadfast,
Uttered then the words which follow:
"Ilmarinen, smith and brother,
Make a new spear quickly for me,
Make it with three cutting edges,
With a copper shaft construct it.
With the bear I now must struggle,
Overthrow the shaggy monster,
That he slay no more my geldings,
Nor shall fall upon my brood-mares, 30
Neither shall destroy my cattle,
Or attempt my cows to injure."
Then the smith a spear constructed,
Not a long one, not a short one,
But of middle length he forged it.
On the blade a wolf was sitting,
On the edge a bear was standing,
At the joint an elk was trotting,
On the shaft a colt was running,
At the end a reindeer leaping. 40
Then fresh snow was gently falling,
And a little snow had drifted
As it drifts in early autumn,
White as is the hare in winter.
Said the aged Väinämöinen,
And he spoke the words which follow:
"Now my inclination leads me
Unto Metsola to travel;
To the forest's daughter's dwelling,
And to the Blue Maiden's homestead. 50
Leaving men, I seek the forest,
Heroes leave, for distant regions.
Take me as thy man, O forest,
Take me, Tapio, for thy hero.
May good fortune now be granted,
And to fell the forest-beauty.
"Mielikki, the forest's Mistress,
Tellervo, the wife of Tapio,
Do thou bind thy dogs securely,
Do thou keep thy whelps in order, 60
In the paths, 'mid honeysuckle,
And beneath the roof of oakwood.
"Otso, apple of the forest,
O thou lazy honey-pawed one!
If thou hearest me approaching,
Hearest me, the hero, coming,
In thy hair thy claws conceal thou,
In thy gums thy teeth conceal thou,
That thou never more may'st move them,
That they motionless remain there. 70